Response to Citizen Kane

First watching Citizen Kane, with not much background knowledge, it was unclear why this film is rated the best movie of all time by the American Film Institute. After watching the movie a second time with more knowledge and commentary, the reasons started to become more clear. Orson Welles had a brilliant vision for the movie, and it was all obtained through his innovative filming techniques. This is what made his film become the greatest movie of all time.

During the first screening of Citizen Kane, it was viewed strictly as an entertainment source, not as an art source. The plot was very dry and moved quite slowly. The story line could have focused more on other areas of the plot and other characters to have made it more exciting. Some characters seemed to have no importance, but from an entertainment standpoint could have been built upon a little more. It was apparent, though, that the movie was to be used as an attack on the man Charles Foster Kane was supposed to be portraying. This fact did help keep attention on the film.

Watching the film a second time, with commentary and certain scenes pointed out, Welles’ vision became more apparent. As the film went on it was easier to spot the deep focus or triangle shots, and the allusions to earlier scenes. Welles also used the lighting to portray the characters, their mindsets, and how they change during the course of the film.

For example, the first scene that he uses this in is right after the “News on the March” where all the reporters had just screened it. They are discussing new details they can put it the newspapers and are coming up with ideas. The room is quite hardly lit, which gives the impression that all of the reporters are still in the dark about Charles Foster Kane’s death. Another scene where this works quite well is when Thompson, the reporter sent to find out more about...

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...CitizenKane, directed by Orson Welles, is considered to still be one of the world’s greatest movies ever produced. CitizenKane is a powerful dramatic tale about the uses and abuses of wealth and power. It's a classic American tragedy about a man of great passion, vision, and greed, who pushes himself until he brings ruins to himself and all around him. From the scene depicting Kane’s meeting Jim Gettys, the audience observes that Kane has aborted his youthful ambitions and has become self-absorbed, which leads to his downfall. Welles conveys this to viewers in this scene by mise-en-scene, camera angles, movement, and lighting.
From an Interview with Kane’s oldest friend, Jebediah Leland, provides the necessary exposition on Kane’s personal life and becoming a victim to his professional life. It begins with series of dinners Kane has with his wife Emily Norton, in which utilize a temporal editing rhythm by showing an obvious time difference. Over a short period of time the passion Kane once had for his marriage had simply been transferred back into his newspaper. His dissolving marriage had placed him in the situation to come in contact with the young Susan Alexander. As the two invested the time into one another, Kane convinces Susan to perform on the piano for him, in which occurs more than once. Kane’s quiet applause for her private piano recital for him...

...The film CitizenKane, directed by Orson Welles, is a great example of how a man can be corrupted by wealth. Through the characters in the film we can observe how Charles Foster Kane, an idealistic man with principles, can be changed and misguided by wealth and what accompanies wealth. The film takes places during the late 19th century and early 20th century, a time in American history when the world is changing and wealth is a great power to change it with. Through the story telling of Kane's life we are able to see how wealth changes, not only Kane's ideals, but his actions and how he perceives the world.
The corruption of idealism by wealth can be seen throughout the film, especially through the thoughts and actions of Kane and the other characters. For example, when Kane publishes his first newspaper for the Inquirer he prints his "Declaration of Principles". Jebediah Leland remarks at that time that he would like to keep it because he feels that it will be an important document one day. As Kane becomes more wealthy and more corrupt by his wealth, Leeland returns the document and we see that Kane understands that he is no longer the same man he was before or the man he set out to become. From this we also see that Leeland and the other characters in the film have come to the same conclusion. Furthermore, in the film, Kane states more than once, that...

...CitizenKane is an American classic film from 1941 and it is regarded as one of the top ten greatest movies of all time. It was able to achieve this with a complex and clever way of telling a story and revealing the plot. Along with a great cast of new but talented actors, each helped brought their characters to life to make the film memorable. Especially the character Charlie Kane, whose performance made you both love him and hate him at the same time. The actor director Orson Welles crafted this piece of history by using a lot of techniques that we still see in films today. His heavy reliant on shadows and camera angles was how he gave such a great character and identity to every scene, all of these things came together so perfectly and it is what makes this classic so special.
I was in awe after seeing CitizenKane. It was the most original film I had ever seen. What I love about it was the story and plot. It plot was complex but it was told so intricately that it made the film very unique and ahead of its time. CitizenKane was able to achieve this wonderfully and it sets the bar high for movies of this genre for generations to come. The movie starts out with a brief introduction the life and career of the mogul Charles Foster Kane which upon his passing, one seemingly irrelevant word sets in motion a mystery that immediately grabs the audience. What is the...

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After watching the movie "CitizenKane" I realized why this movie was named one of the best films ever. Yellow journalism was in an era from the 1880 to the 1900 and it featured flashy journalism of that time, which made editors write about invented stories. Which went to big headlines on subjects that weren't true. The two big writers of that time were William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer. During the film Kane is depicted as a yellow journalism at different times.
One example is when they put out the article "Charles Foster Kane Defeated, Fraud At Polls". From that headline you would believe that he was beaten by some illegal purpose, but it was just a headline getting people to read the article and the enjoyment of writing against your enemy. Next, when Kane got all the writers from the chronicle to start writing for the inquirer. He put out an article that said "The Greatest Newspaper Staff In The World" and had a picture of all the new guys standing together. As you can see there it is not so much false information, but he said they are greatest writers in the world. When all these guys came form the opposing newspaper. While watching the film there are many other times that Kane portrays yellow journalism. He was out to help the poor people of the community and just have fun with the newspaper.
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Kane’s’ Tragedy
CitizenKane develops many remarkable themes. Two main points are the humiliation of the personal qualities of the public figure and the second develops with the serious power of materialism. Taken as one, these two themes contain the harsh sarcasm of an American success story that ends in useless homesickness, loneliness, and death. The reality that the personal theme is developed vocally through the characters while the materialistic theme is developed visually, creating a unique stylistic counterpoint. It is in opposition to the counterpoint that the themes clarify within the formation of a mystery story. Its theme is put in picture from a number of viewpoints by several different characters. The sad story is how a millionaire newspaperman, who honestly made his reputation as the supporter of the poor, becomes ruined by a desire for wealth and power. Kane's misfortune lies in his failure to experience any actual feeling in his human interactions. One of Citizen Kane’s main themes was the idea that childhood is missing. All the way through the entire movie, Kane was seen trying to bring back his childhood. It seemed as though he sought to go back and do the whole thing over. I think the one thing he sought more than anything else was for someone to care about him and make him feel significant. Given that he was separated from his parents when he was so young he didn’t...

...CIN100/9259
12/3/09
CitizenKane is often regarded as the greatest American film of all time. It expertly executes many different aspects of film making as an art form. Orson Wells used a new style of shot framing called Mise en Scene to show the dynamics in a scene. He also used lighting in ways that had never been used before. As the star of the movie as well, Orson Wells delivers an all time great performance as Kane. All these things add up to create one of the greatest movies to ever grace the silver screen.
CitizenKane uses Mise en Scene to show the true nature of the characters in a given scene. This can and does change throughout the movie. The first flashback to Kane’s past opens with a young Kane all-alone outside, playing in the snow. (CitizenKane) This is done to show Kane as a completely innocent child, before Mr. Thatcher takes him away. Loosely framed shots such as this convey freedom, which is another trait of Kane at this point in his life. (Raffay, Mise) Later into the movie when we see Kane first meeting Susan another example of Mise en Scene is used. Kane is framed in these scenes to look very large. (CitizenKane) This is done because whatever is given most space in a scene is most dominant. (Raffay, Mise) At this point in the movie Kane’s has started to...

...The film CitizenKane (1941), directed and written by Orson Welles and Herman Mankiewicz, is an American film drama that use various film techniques to illustrate themes, attitudes, and the development of a story. Welles' use of camera angles, lighting, movement, symbolism and expression allow the audience to comprehend and understand the themes such as power and exploitation that are present in this movie along with many other themes that pertain to the life of the main character, Charles Foster Kane. Many of the filming techniques that are used in this film illustrate Kane and his feelings and transitions through and about his life. CitizenKane is a film that demonstrates the importance of how simple scene techniques can help develop a story.
After viewing the film, the audience comes to understand that the main theme of the movie is centered around the importance of childhood. Throughout the movie, symbolism is used to reinforce the theme. Thompson, the reporter, attempts to figure out the meaning of the word “rosebud”, Kane's last words before passing away. Kane's life seems to be a mystery to some people, and the word “rosebud” is that missing piece to Kane's life. Thompson never figures out what “rosebud” means, but at the end of the movie we see the word “rosebud” on the sled that was thrown into the fire. At this point the audience understands that rosebud is indeed symbolic of...

...CitizenKane
Along with its renowned outstanding cinematic achievements, what ultimately exalted CitizenKane to such incredible heights was the character of Charles Foster Kane. In despite of reporters attempts to unveil the genuine Kane. Kane claimed the name of an enigma. The depth of Kane’s loneliness and isolation concludes in a vignette that will continue to impress generations of audiences .
A series of rough chronological flashbacks tells the life story of Charles Foster Kane. The first flashback introduces Kane to Thatcher. Kane’s mother Mary runs a lodging house in rural Colorado. To compensate a payment for room and board, one of her tenants gives her stock to what she believes is a worthless mine, but in-turn is a working gold mine. She unexpectedly strikes it rich, she decides it would be better off to send Charles away at eight years old, to be raised by her banker, Thatcher. Naturally, Charles is infuriated and strikes Thatcher with the sled he’s been happily riding when Thatcher comes to take him away. Kane never sees his mother again. The abrupt separation keeps keeps Kane from growing past the needy and aggressive behaviors of a pre-adolescent. The relationship between Kane and Thatcher remained cold. In their years together Kane moves on to writing questionable...